Dave Loebsack for Congress

QC Times Editorial Board: Loebsack earns fifth term

Four times, Rep. Dave Loebsack has won voter support over strong Republican challengers, including two wins over Dr. Mariannette Miller-Meeks.

That enduring support is for a congressman who seems to make our Quad-Cities his home, and not just during campaign season. Loebsack’s work ethic, passion for collaboration and carefully cultivated Q-C connections make him our choice to represent Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District.

Loebsack has championed all the right Q-C causes and demonstrated an aptitude for working across aisles, initiating collaboration with former Illinois Quad-City Rep. Bobby Schilling to expand private partnerships at the Rock Island Arsenal. He’s reached out to Iowa arch-conservative Rep. Steve King to work together on wind energy tax credits. His leadership on student loan and workforce development bills will strengthen a Quad-City workforce as reliant on community colleges as big, four-year state schools.

Miller-Meeks returns to the ballot as a formidable challenger with the leadership experience and engaging campaign style that carried her through a competitive primary. In this general election campaign, we were eager to hear Miller-Meeks lead a nuanced discussion of improving American health care. Despite repeated questioning at our Oct. 11 debate, Miller-Meeks declined to acknowledge if she’d join the House GOP majority that voted umpteen times to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

Our Quad-Cities need proven collaborators in Congress. Four times, Iowa voters have found that collaborator in Loebsack, who earns our support for a fifth term.